Graduation
by EvilEmmaEvans
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own HSM.


--Graduation--

--Chapter 1: Graduation--

--By: EvilEmmaEvans--

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"I can't believe that we're graduating tomorrow!" Sharpay squealed to her friends.

(A/N: Yes I know what you're thinking and yes it says 'friends'; so to clear up any misunderstandings, Sharpay's friends are: Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi and Martha. – Emma)

"I know I can't believe it either. I mean, I know that I've only been going to East High for a year and a half, but I feel a strong connection to it. I mean I was actually able to make friends and keep them," Gabriella said smiling.

(A/N: The gang is all over at the Evans' Mansion; the girls are getting ready for bed in Sharpay's room and the boys are fooling around down stairs in the living room waiting for the girls to come back. – Emma)

"Yeah, I know, even in the short amount of time that you've been here, we already have about a hundred memories that include you, good and bad," Taylor said smiling at Gabriella, giving her a hug and sending a glare Sharpay's way.

"Thanks you guys," Gabriella said as a tear of joy slipped down her cheek.

"Are you five coming back down or not!?" Ryan yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"We'll be down in a minute and don't you dare time us Ryan!" Sharpay yelled back from her bedroom door.

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_And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives_

_Where we're gonna be when we turn 25_

_I keep thinking times will never change_

_Keep on thinking things will always be the same_

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"So, what are we going to do after we graduate?" Ryan asked while putting an arm around Martha's shoulders.

"Well, we could have a huge graduation party. Like instead of having 9 different ones, have 1 extremely HUGE one," Sharpay answered while using Zeke's stomach as a pillow.

"That actually doesn't sound bad, and we could all do something different to help get it organized," Gabriella agreed while snuggling with Troy.

(A/N: Sorry, but as a late heads up/some-what-early heads up, the couples are: Troyella, Chaylor, Jelsi, Zekepay & Ryan and Martha. – Emma)

"Okay, then let's write down what everyone is going to do for the party & decide who will be the president, vice-president, and treasurer," Kelsi suggested.

"Okay, I've got some paper and a pencil," Jason said grabbing his notebook and the pencil next to it before holding Kelsi close to him.

"Only you would bring a notebook to a 'sleepover' type thing," Chad said with a small laugh.

"Hey, you brought your blankie with you," Troy said which every laughed at.

"That's not fair, you now I can't sleep without it," Chad said turning red.

"Dude, come on, you have to admit, it is funny, I mean, you make fun of Jay for having a notebook when you bring something that's I little more unusual at this type of thing," Zeke said still laughing.

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_But when we leave this year we won't be coming back_

_No more hanging out cause we're on a different track_

_And if you got something that you need to say_

_You better say it right now __'__cause you don't have another day_

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As everyone started talking about what they were going to do to help out with the party, Gabriella stayed quiet and thought about all of the other schools she had gone to.

She had never been able to do anything like this before and now that she had the chance she didn't know if she wanted to help plan it, sure she had agreed with Sharpay on the idea, but that didn't mean that she wanted to help.

As she thought, the following things were decided: Ryan would be the treasurer and control all of the money that was used for food and decorations; Kelsi would be the president and make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible; Jason would be the vise-president and help Kelsi out as much as possible; Zeke would bake the deserts and buy the food, with Troy and Chad as his assistants; Sharpay was to decorate the Evans' backyard the day of the party; and Taylor, Martha and herself, Gabriella, would be in charge of buying the decorations and then help Sharpay decorate if at all needed.

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_Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down_

_These memories playing like a film without sound_

_And I keep think of that night in June_

_I didn't know much of love_

_But it came __too__ soon_

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While her friends talked about all of the good times they had growing up, Gabriella started to cry softly. Since her mom's work had moved them around so much, she never had the opportunity to make lasting memories with people. As she listened to her friends, the tears in Gabriella's eyes got bigger and a little louder.

"Gabs, what's wrong?" Troy asked looking worried.

"I was just thinking about how I never got to create memories the way you guys all have," Gabriella said putting on a fake smile.

"Gabi, we can see through that smile of yours," Sharpay said getting up to give Gabriella a hug.

"Thanks guys, but what happens after graduation?" Gabriella asked.

"We'll still be friends forever," Taylor said smiling.

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_And there was me and you_

_And we got real blue_

_Stay at home talking on the telephone_

_We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared_

_Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair_

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"Do you guys remember when we helped Troy and Gabriella beat out Ryan and Sharpay for the Twinkle Town Musicale?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, that was an interesting first two weeks for me," Gabriella said.

"That was an interesting two weeks for all of us Gabi," Kelsi said smiling.

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_And this is how it feels_

_**As we go on**_

_**We remember**_

_**All the times we**_

_**Had together**_

_**And as our lives change**_

_**Come whatever**_

_**We will still be**_

_**Friends Forever**_

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"How long have all of you been friends?" Gabriella asked looking around at her friends.

"Well, Troy, Chad, Sharpay and myself became friends in pre-school and were friends through 6th grade, but when we went into junior high, Troy and Chad went into basketball and Sharpay and I went into Drama," Ryan said.

"In 7th grade was when I met Sharpay and Ryan and that's when I started composing songs," Kelsi said.

"And it wasn't until 8th grade that Troy and I met Jason and Zeke," Chad said.

"And in 9th grade, Martha and I met each other," Taylor said.

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_So if we get the big jobs_

_And we make the big money_

_When we look back now_

_Will our jokes still be funny?_

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"Do you think we should start looking for jobs after the party?" Sharpay asked looking around at everyone else.

"That would probably be best for us to do so," Zeke said

"I have an idea," Ryan said smiling.

"What idea would that be?" Taylor asked.

"The day after the party we all go downtown and look for jobs together," Ryan said.

"Sounds good to me, what about the rest of you?" Kelsi asked.

"Sounds good to me, too," Jason said smiling.

"Deal," Sharpay and Zeke said together.

"I'm game if Troy is," Gabriella said snuggling with her boyfriend.

"I'm game, too," Troy said wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.

"Count us in," Chad and Taylor said in unison."I'll do it," Martha said leaning up against Ryan as he wrapped his arms around her.

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_Will we still remember everything we learned in school?__Still be trying to break every single rule_

_Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?_

_Will Heather __find a job that won't interfere with her tan?_

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"Do you think that when we come back for our 10 year reunion, we'll remember what all of our teachers taught us over the last few years?" Martha asked smiling at the thought.

"Probably not, but we could always act like we remember what we learned," Sharpay said laughing.

"And if they see through the act?" Troy asked.

"We try and dig ourselves out of a very deep hole and try to remember what we learned," Ryan said.

"And if we still can't?" Kelsi asked.

"We just end up telling them that we don't remember anything from school," Chad said.

"Yeah, see that's what the rest of you would do; but see; Gabriella and I will always remember what we learned in school," Taylor said smacking Chad in the back of head.

"That hurt; why do you have to hit so hard?" Chad asked rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry, but you were being an idiot," Taylor said.

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_I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye_

_Keep on thinking it's a time to fly_

_And this is how it feels_

_**As we go on**_

_**We remember**_

_**All the times we**_

_**Had together**_

_**And as our lives change**_

_**Come whatever**_

_**We will still be**_

_**Friends Forever**_

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"Does it feel like its goodbye to anyone else?" Taylor asked looking around at everyone else.

"Yes and no; I feel like I just got her and now I have to say goodbye," Gabriella said frowning a little bit.

"I just feel like we started freshmen year yesterday and now we're graduating," Kelsi said laughing some at the thought.

"And then we have to find jobs and then we go off to collage," Sharpay said shivering at the thought of the very near future.

"Well, I'm planning on going to community collage, why don't you all join me?" Martha asked looking hopefully at everyone else.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Chad said as he ducked a pillow being thrown his way by Kelsi.

"What did you expect; she's a Brainiac Chad," Ryan said with a glare.

"I'm also attending community collage," Troy said putting his arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

"Well, community collage does sound like a good way to stay together; I think I'll stay and go to collage here," Jason said smiling.

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_La, la, la, la_

_Yeah__, yeah, yeah_

_La, la, la, la_

_We will still be friends forever_

_Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?_

_Can we survive it out there?_

_Can we make it somehow?_

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"What do you guys think about moving in with each other?" Ryan asked looking around at his friends.

"What do you mean?" Sharpay asked confused.

(A/N: Big shocker there. – Emma)

"Well I don't think that we can all survive without the rest of the group," Ryan said looking at the ground.

"Are you talking about yourself, Ryan?" Taylor asked looking concerned

"Yeah," Ryan mumbled.

"I think all of us moving in together sounds like the best idea ever," Taylor said smiling as she gave Ryan a hug.

"While we go looking for jobs, we'll also look for a place to live," Troy said before falling asleep.

"But first we need to see how much money we have total to see what we can afford," Gabriella said before falling asleep as well.

"Yeah what she said," Sharpay said with a yawn and fell asleep on Zeke

"Great, now I can't move, and this isn't the most comfortable position to fall asleep in," Zeke said sending a look of discomfort in Ryan's direction.

"Just kiss her," Ryan mouthed.

"You kiss her," Zeke said back forgetting to mouth it.

"There is no way Ryan is kissing me," Sharpay said sitting up long enough for Zeke to lie down and then fell asleep on his shoulder.

One-by-one, Chad, Kelsi, Jason and Martha all fell asleep, leaving Taylor and Ryan being the only ones still awake.

"Do you want to go outside and talk?" Taylor asked in a whisper.

"Sure," Ryan whispered back before standing up being careful not wake the others up, while Taylor did the same thing.

"Is there something on your mind Ryan?" Taylor asked sitting down on one of the lawn chairs on the patio.

"Yeah, actually there is something on my mind, well its more that someone is on my mind," Ryan confesses.

"Is it Martha or someone else?" Taylor asked putting her hand on Ryan's thigh.

"Some-someone else is on my mind," Ryan stuttered not looking at Taylor.

"Ryan are you okay?" Taylor asked straddling Ryan's lap and looking into his eyes.

"Taylor, why are you so darn hot?" Ryan asked flipping them over so that he was pinning her to the chair.

"What?" Taylor asked wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Taylor, please stop," Ryan said getting up.

"Ryan if I'm on your mind, then why are you telling me to stop?" Taylor asked confused.

"Because, I have a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend," Ryan said before walking back into the house and falling asleep leaving a confused Taylor in the backyard.

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_I guess I thought that this would never end_

_And suddenly it's like we're women and men_

_Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?_

_Will these memories fade when I leave this town?_

_I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye_

_Keep on thinking it's a time to fly_

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--Following Day in East High Gym--

"And now, the moment you have all waited for. I introduce to you, the graduating class of 2008. Baylor, Zeke… Bolton, Troy… Cox, Martha… Cross, Jason… Danforth, Chad… Evans, Ryan; Evans, Sharpay… McKessie, Taylor… Montez, Gabriella… Neilson, Kelsi," Principal Matsui said as he handed the diplomas to each person.

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_**As we go on**_

_**We remember**_

_**All the times we**_

_**Had together**_

_**And as our lives change**_

_**Come whatever**_

_**We will still be**_

_**Friends Forever**_

_**As we go on**_

_**We remember**_

_**All the times we**_

_**Had together**_

_**And as our lives change**_

_**Come whatever**_

_**We will still be**_

_**Friends Forever**_

_**As we go on**_

_**We remember**_

_**All the times we**_

_**Had together**_

_**And as our lives change**_

_**Come whatever**_

_**We will still be**_

_**Friends Forever**_

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"We are proud of all of you," Mrs. Baylor said as the 10 friends threw their caps in the air at the party after graduation.

"Thanks mom," Zeke said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course we had to get each of you a gift," Coach Bolton said smiling at his son and the others.

"Why do they get all of the attention?" Emily Bolton, Troy's younger sister (by a year) whispered to her best friend Emma Evans, Ryan and Sharpay's younger sister (by a year).

"Because we're the ones who graduated," Troy whispered to her.

"I wasn't talking to you, Mr. Graduate," Emily whispered with a hiss of venom.

"Em, calm down, your hiss just had venom in it," Emma said as she pulled her friend toward the dance floor as their favorite song came on.

"I hate this though, Em," Emily complained to her friend.

"Oh well, just keep think that we will get all the attention next year when we graduate," Emma said with a smile, "and, since Sharpay and Ryan graduated, you and I get to be co-presidents of Drama Club," she finished with smirk.

"True, okay, I'm happy now," Emily said as she started to dance.

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--End Chapter 1--

(A/N: I hope you liked the story. I know it might a bit long for a Songfic and I'm sorry if it is. But please don't let the length keep you from reviewing or from reading some of my other stories. If I have following chapters with flashbacks in different POV's is totally and completely up to my readers. – Emma)


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